After a beautiful day of skiing, my luck remained with me as I plucked this book off the Free Shelf in Telluride.What's inside this small book is a huAfter a beautiful day of skiing, my luck remained with me as I plucked this book off the Free Shelf in Telluride.What's inside this small book is a huge collection of amazing, unique short stories (and a few comics), by the heavy hitters in modern American (and British, and Irish, and probably some more) fiction. The unifying theme is that each story is about a character, and that this book was a fundraiser for 826 New York, a youth literary project in New York. I skipped around, changing order as it suited my mood, and re-reading several of the stories when the endings revealed something that had been hidden earlier. The characters range from hazy to obnoxious to tragic to hipster to my grandmother (yes, thank you Jonathan Safran Foer, for that unoriginal but amusing monologue). They are revealed to us through their own narratives, others' perceptions of them, and their absences and memories.If you only have time to glance at this book while in someone else's bathroom, or the doctor's waiting room, read "Judith Castle" by David Mitchell, "Gideon" by ZZ Packer, "Lele" by Edwidge Danticat, "Magda Mandela" by Hari Kunzru, "Puppy" by George Saunders, and "Roy Spivey" by Miranda July.

"Don't eat foods your great-grandmother wouldn't have recognized." Aside from the obvious drawbacks to me from being born of Eastern European Jewish a"Don't eat foods your great-grandmother wouldn't have recognized." Aside from the obvious drawbacks to me from being born of Eastern European Jewish ancestry (this would rule out sushi and pizza), I'm not willing to argue with this, or most, of Pollan's central tenets.

This book is fairly stunning in its simplicity, and much of it feels like a series of well-articulated "duhs." We should eat vegetables? And avoid products with endless lists of manufactured ingredients? And sit down to enjoy our meals? Yet Pollan also supports a lot of these things that strike me as inherent truisms with data and case studies comparing diets within contemporary U.S.A, to diets over time in the U.S.A., to diets world-round. (This may be one of Pollan's only weaknesses, as well -- he has a tendency to expect all his readers to be of the non-indigenous Western Anglo-American culture, but I'm about to lend this book to a well-read, well-grounded in her own food culture Native friend who probably won't appreciate the "us and them" distinctions.)

More frighteningly, he shows how these obvious lessons on how to eat that have been passed down to us for generations are under attack by those who would wish us well (nutritionists) and those who would wish us ill and addicted (food industry). This is the part of the book that explains why the "duh" parts are so important -- this is no longer obvious information to most Americans. And it's not even so much because most Americans are stupid, as there have been somewhat ingenious (here my inner conspiracy theorist rejoices) campaigns to keep Americans confused on these factors.

Pollan has identified "nutritionism" as one of the main enemies, and describes this as the scientific and pseudoscientific attempts to break down food into its variously deemed "valuable" and "harmful" pieces and then recreate it in the lab into food units that no longer resemble foods as much as they do Jetson-aged food pills. (Does anyone else remember George Jetson dispensing his food pills? Michael Pollan resisted using this obvious illustration, or he never watched tv.) Pollan argues that nutritionism is a pervasive, and dangerous, way to view food that both makes it less healthy and less enjoyable. Pervasive indeed -- even in his denouncements of the evils of nutritionism, Pollan borrows a few methods from it.

If nutritionism is the (usually) well-meaning but somewhat befuddled enemy of our food enjoyment and food-related health, then food industry is the mastermind devil determined to profit at our detriment. Beginning with the deceptive packaging and labeling documented in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, and continuing in force, this faceless corporate enemy has fought attempts to regulate and expose it, and, more cleverly, utilized new regulations to further deceive America's eaters about what is, and is not, in our food. The way Pollan renders it, the cold pre-meditated knowledge with which food industry obfuscates information and sells untruths makes you wonder what the people who work in those industries eat.

In addition to taking us away from the pleasures of eating and sharing in a food culture, apparently eating in the way we do makes us sick as hell. If Pollan's links between the "Western diseases" (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc) and food are as solid as he argues, I only wonder why we are not sicker. It's also a wonder that no more than lip service is paid to bringing back traditional diets as a key to health, when government and private funds are blown in gobs on fancy treatment for problems like diabetes. Taking it back home to the rez, as I always do in my reviews, this means that sick Navajos (17% of Native Americans have diabetes) continue to eat the shit available at our copious fast food chains and in packaged boxes (available even to those on food stamps!), while blowing their (or the federal government's) money on expensive life-maintaining treatment rather than return to eating mutton, squash, corn, beans, and peaches.

A disclaimer, though: This book should not be read as a guide to healthy eating; although Pollan does make some concrete suggestions on this, his obvious whoops of omitting physical activity as a part of health really rules out that possibility. ...more

Che Guevara was an amazing writer with an acerbic wit and reflective wisdom shocking for his 23 years when he wrote these letters and journal entriesChe Guevara was an amazing writer with an acerbic wit and reflective wisdom shocking for his 23 years when he wrote these letters and journal entries on his motorcycle journey through Latin America. Definitely worth the read to marvel on the brilliance of the author and to see a glimpse of some of the beauty and problems of the continent to the south. ...more

When one of my best friends got me this book for my birthday, I thought it was a damning admission of the fact that it appears I will be cooking aloneWhen one of my best friends got me this book for my birthday, I thought it was a damning admission of the fact that it appears I will be cooking alone for the rest of my life, and that this was something somewhat shameful, if sometimes pleasurable. It's actually a collection of stories about cooking alone by writers (who are not necessarily cooks, or even capable in the kitchen), and while some are rather depressing, most are amusing. I apparently judge people by their interest in cooking and eating (and am certainly biased by my exposure to scores of anorexic runners in my younger years), and lost all respect for the one author who confessed that when she's alone she likes to eat saltines, if anything at all. There are recipes in the book as well, though most are not particularly inspiring. ...more

Ever trendy, Barbara Kingsolver follows the foody and sustainability craze, one-upping the armchair philosophers by actually relocating her family froEver trendy, Barbara Kingsolver follows the foody and sustainability craze, one-upping the armchair philosophers by actually relocating her family from the great dry Southwest to try a more sustainable, locovore life in Appalachia. What ensues is an eminently readable, charming, and sometimes mildly redundant and preachy account of their year on the farm.

I was expecting more how-tos (and how-to-nots), but as it turns out Barbara and family are not actually newbies to gardening, livestock raising, or the ethos of locavorism. Since I have a black thumb (and managed to kill "unkillable" plants in my dry Southwest garden last year), have never touched a live chicken, and have only recently stumbled onto Frances Moore Lappe, Michael Pollan and Gary Nabkhan, I was hoping for more of a peer account from another neophyte, and less from the pulpit.

Somehow, every season and every chapter manages to end with a contented sigh of pastoral wisdom winning out over urban haste and tomfoolery. You can almost hear the cicadas, and I couldn't help but indulge the devilish wonder, in that silence -- where's Barbara's husband at this moment? Is he seeking comfort in the arms of a pre-packaged, sophisticated urban mistress who has all she needs to order take-out just a cell phone dial away, who has never wondered or cared where her food comes from, and who blanches at the thought of dirt underneath manicured nails?

I did enjoy the book, but all the saintliness got in the way of what could've been a far more compelling account....more

I was seduced by the atmosphere of the Book Cellar -- you know those little bookstores where the employees scribble their own reviews below books theyI was seduced by the atmosphere of the Book Cellar -- you know those little bookstores where the employees scribble their own reviews below books they recommend, and they have their own little theme and serve coffee, this one even has wine -- into buying this book at the rec of an anonymous employee. I mean, the Wine Cellar is cute, accessible, in Lincoln Square in Chicago, and this book is by a Chicago author and takes place in Chicago (albeit the South Side; I'm from a North 'burb). Much like the high school experience this book purports to report, it is somewhat painful and interminable. I'm awaiting some great revelation in the last 20 pages that will have made it worth me continuing to read past the first 50. ...more

I felt a bit like a voyeur reading this book. I guess my current obsession with Colorado City (at only 3 hours away, a very reasonable destination) doI felt a bit like a voyeur reading this book. I guess my current obsession with Colorado City (at only 3 hours away, a very reasonable destination) doesn't lessen that impression.

This is probably not the best intro to Mormonism. It is also probably best not to be seen reading this book in heavily LDS places like, oh, say, Tuba City . . . At the same time, it weaves into the disturbing plotline a very thorough documentation of the history and spread of the Mormon faith, which are pretty amazing things actually, certainly very different than the stalwarts of monotheism with their archaic and cryptic history that we write off as a product of another time.

It's a very fast read. I recommend it. Then, come out and visit me and we'll go grab dinner in Colorado City . . ....more

A really beautiful book about some ugly facets of small-town life in Colorado. Haruf has a talent for revealing his characters without ever letting yoA really beautiful book about some ugly facets of small-town life in Colorado. Haruf has a talent for revealing his characters without ever letting you be privy to their inner workings or thoughts, and the love with which they treat each other provides just enough warmth to carry this book through its cold setting. I expected this book to send me into a further depression -- after all, it's about lonely people who live in the middle of nowhere -- but I couldn't wait to read this book again all of the few short nights it took me to finish it. ...more

The most disturbing Toni Morrison book I've read. . . and that says a lot. This is a really short, really upsetting tale dealing with abuse, racism, aThe most disturbing Toni Morrison book I've read. . . and that says a lot. This is a really short, really upsetting tale dealing with abuse, racism, and societal expectations of beauty and normalcy. The vessel in which all of these horrible forces pool is a young girl, and the result is disastrous. (I once saw an interview with some blonde twit actress in some women's mag about this book -- I guess she was trying to show how smart she was, and she described this book as being about (and I'm not remembering the exact quote) "a young girl who thinks that you need blue eyes to be beautiful. It just shows you that everybody has their thing, you know?" While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, said actress reviewer was simply wrong.)...more

I'm sure this book was revolutionary when it first came out, but Freire's observations had already been incorporated into so much of what I was taughtI'm sure this book was revolutionary when it first came out, but Freire's observations had already been incorporated into so much of what I was taught and read that I didn't feel like I got a ton from this book. I guess I should thank my teachers....more

This book takes the centerpiece of the Palestinian tragedy -- the Nakba, or catastrophe, that was the founding of the state of Israel and destructionThis book takes the centerpiece of the Palestinian tragedy -- the Nakba, or catastrophe, that was the founding of the state of Israel and destruction of Palestinian society -- and renders it into a mildly sentimental tale of some emotional war buddies. Hemingway-esque in both its focus on male characters and echoing descriptions of natural places, Yakhlif also chose (rather oddly I thought) to focus on two characters who came from outside of Palestine to join their lots with the noble cause for someone else's homeland. It is these characters -- one man from Iraq and another from Lebanon -- who are actually more developed than the various Palestinians who populate the village at the center of the story, Samakh. I would've liked to know more about the villagers and Samakh, but felt like Yakhlif only let us view snitches of the beautiful village on the lake from behind a curtain of the love and camraderie felt between the main characters....more

Part personal journey and part investigative reporting. This book is not, as I expected it to be, about whether/how to eat meat (I guess Peter SingerPart personal journey and part investigative reporting. This book is not, as I expected it to be, about whether/how to eat meat (I guess Peter Singer would be the place to go for that), but instead a broad exploration with a loose thesis on food sources and eating choices in general. I found the corn section fascinating and frightening, and my interest continued with the exploration into big organics and organic marketing, but I ended up skimming the final chapters on hunting and mushroom gathering. I only had so long on inter-library loan, and in any event there was a lot more personal reflection and a lot less analysis in those chapters. I've resolved to sign up again for the CSA, despite the price and the fact that I couldn't identify half the greens I got....more

The 5-star rating is a bit deceptive -- I'm not enjoying reading this book at all -- I've been reading it before bed and having horrible dreams -- butThe 5-star rating is a bit deceptive -- I'm not enjoying reading this book at all -- I've been reading it before bed and having horrible dreams -- but it is well-done and effective.

I've heard about The Jungle my whole life as the book that turned people into vegetarians, and also the book the prompted much food regulation in the early 1900's, but in the struggle of Jurgis and Ona and family I see ongoing struggles faced by my legal aid clients and continuing scams wrought upon poor people that keep them always struggling to make ends meet.

Upton Sinclair's choice to tell the story of the inhuman, unregulated conditions in the packing industry through a fictional, human narrative was a brilliant and effective one. Rather than state coldly the hours worked by the starving immigrant class, he is able to show it through the characters' exhaustion, hunger, missing body parts, fatal illnesses, and lost dreams. Rather than describe how upside-down lending practices were regularly used to divest people of every last penny (a practice I still see often as a consumer law attorney on the rez), we see how the characters invest all their hope and money in the picture of homeownership for substandard housing only to be cast out when they inevitably miss one of the hidden costs.

This book also has a particular poignancy for me as an Evanstonian -- I was raised in a comfortable middle class existence about 20 miles from the neighborhood in Chicago where all these horrors and abuses were carried out, undoubtedly to the ignorance of those who would have shared my position just miles away.

My most immediate, gut reaction to this book is that the Lithuanian immigrant characters made a huge mistake when they left an area with arable land for an urban industrial existence, and that anyone who leaves farmable land for promises of wealth risks complete disempowerment and starvation. On another level, this book reflects my concerns in my consumer law practice and makes me wonder just how much individuals, businesses, and government entities still sanction and actively engage in the abuse of people with no recourse or understanding of their rights. Based on what we see of treatment of undocumented workers and what I see with lending practices, I would hazard a guess that we haven't come too far since the time of The Jungle. ...more

I read the 20th anniversary edition of this book (which is nearly 20 years old itself) and recommend that anyone else who do so start with the actualI read the 20th anniversary edition of this book (which is nearly 20 years old itself) and recommend that anyone else who do so start with the actual book, then read the intros and comments in chronological order. I just read it in page order, so I got a lot of updates and somewhat self-congratulatory and very earnest statements about the impact of the book until I got to the actual book that had such a big impact.

If Lappe feels self-important, it is because to a real extent her book (or at least the type of work that she and others have done) really does represent groundbreaking ideas on American diet, consumption, health, world markets, sustainability, and hunger. Through various college classes, discussions with friends, and articles I've consumed over the years I've already been exposed to nearly all of the concepts in the book, but that is likely in large part because of the book.

The breakdown, for those who haven't been as fortunate as me to have been previously exposed, goes something like this: we don't need nearly as much meat in our diets as we consume; meat production is a huge sink of our grain, soil, and water resources; lots of subsidies go into producing meat and various other non-necessary food products both in the U.S. and in other cultures; world hunger is solveable, but the "food aid" that we currently send to places is often in the form of grain to feed meat that the hungry cannot afford (I would add that a lot of world hunger is politically manipulated; Lappe doesn't really go into this). Perhaps the most important lesson stressed by Lappe in the various intros is that the decisions to continue our foolhardy production, aid, and diet patterns are not being made democratically and that a true participatory democracy driven by informed people is the only way to create a sensible and sustainable world food economy.

I haven't tried the recipes yet, and I can't really take Lappe up on the command that we visit local food co-ops, but I'm sticking to my mostly-veg diet and trying to eat as local as possible in a desert in the middle of nowhere, and remain excited about the concept of others catching on as well. Who knows, maybe some day Tuba City will have a salad restaurant and a food co-op, and people will know what tofu is!...more

The quick descriptions of Emma Goldman's life in the intro are more interesting than her essays, and I think I should probably just find a biography sThe quick descriptions of Emma Goldman's life in the intro are more interesting than her essays, and I think I should probably just find a biography somewhere. The brilliant mind of American Anarchism sounds a bit self-righteous and hopeless in this collection of essays, dismissing almost all movements and progress as blind, confused, or retroactive. It seems that in her youth, the people who came to hear Anarchist speakers actually wanted to learn, wanted to be independent, wanted to revolt, but now they are just there for amusement. What a depressing thought!Still, some of the essays do provide interesting and somewhat eerily prescient analysis of the failure of movements for progress, and if Emma Goldman were alive today I'm sure she'd find plenty more to incorporate into her speeches....more

An excruciatingly detailed study of the formation of four of the great national parks and their relationships with the tribes in the regions.

This workAn excruciatingly detailed study of the formation of four of the great national parks and their relationships with the tribes in the regions.

This work covers the initial plans, the hype and commercialism and publicity, the maintenance and expansion of the parks, and how at every stage this involved riding roughshod over the rights of the original inhabitants. While this book mainly focuses on broken promises and deals and unfair negotiations and legislation, Burnham also explores the cynical irony with which parks alternatively hid and exploited their native inhabitants.

Read it, and your visits to the National Parks (or at least the Western National Parks) will never be the same....more

Awesome collection of essays on reparations covering topics from Native American repatriation, payments to comfort women, reparations for slavery in tAwesome collection of essays on reparations covering topics from Native American repatriation, payments to comfort women, reparations for slavery in the U.S., Holocaust reparations. This was my guide for my college senior thesis; I have yet to see as comprehensive and detailed coverage of the ins and outs of reparations. ...more